4.8.18

So many things to say.. our new ward is awesome!! So many new strong awesome people. Big families and youth! And all kinds in between! We filled the chapel and the overflow! Sunday school was huge!!! We doubled our youth! We had too many young men to pass the sacrament!! That was amazing! I’m so happy and excited for this change!

This past week has been so great! We went to Utah to meet up with Melissa, Chaz, and Hazel. It was so fun! Hazel has such a fun personality and makes us smile and laugh all the time. And she melts our hearts! When she puts her cute little hands and our cheeks and gives us a big squeeze! Awe! That is the life!

I love that we have modern technology so that when we do see her, she knows us and we don’t have to take extra time for her to get to know us again. Her saying, Yahmaaaa melts my heart!
We spent time in South Jordan and then went to Eden, up above Ogden. I had plans to see so many people, but it just didn’t happen.. but we got lots of Hazel time, so it was totally worth it. Next time..
I did something out of character, too.. I didn’t take very many pictures. I wasn’t feeling 100% most of the trip and I guess I’ll blame it on that. 
We got to go to the Jordan River temple open house, too. I didn’t get any pics.. We had to wait in line for an hour and it was past Hazel’s nap time. Unfortunately, she was starting to have a meltdown towards the end, so we hurried up and left. 
One of the great things about Utah is all the temples and we got to see a few. Keagan’s favorite is the Brigham City and Provo City temple, so we saw those and Ogden. 



We got home @9 Thursday night and Friday I went with my friend Marie Martin to Time our for Women in Seattle. That was a lot of fun, too. But now I’m tired and can’t believe I have to go back to regular life tomorrow!

The tofw was in downtown Seattle and we were near the Ferris wheel. I’ve never been on it and always wanted to go and told Marie, so she said, Let’s go! What a good friend! So, we went and I loved it!



One of the great quotes from towf 


From part of my lesson to the Yw today. I used her talk from conference to talk about being united as yw. It’s from Sunday conference, “With one accord”

Hope you have a great week!
Lov you all!
Sis Shoop

I wrote a letter last week and then it disappeared. Did it send ? I never could find it..

3.25.18

Big changes!!!  Tonight they had a special meeting and dissolved Lacey 6th ward and divided it to Lacey 1, 2, and 4th wards. We got about 100 new active people and doubled our youth! So exciting.  We don’t know exactly all our people yet and it will take about a week to get the Lds tools updated. The ward council members of the 3 wards were invited to Lacey 6th ward and given the new boundaries, so to me I don’t know who lives where. We now go out Pacific Avenue to hwy 510 and down past Evergreen forest elementary school. That other half goes to 1st ward. A tiny part near the mushroom farm goes to 4th ward. Maybe next week I’ll have a map. Keagan is sooo excited. 3 new priests!

The Copins are in our ward.. of course they moved a while back from their Lacey 3 ward. In two weeks our chapel will be full! More to come when I know more!

This week will be exciting. School gets out early for parent teacher conferences. Keagan gets out at 10:30ish. I’m working MTW at Horizons until 11:30. I don’t have preschool this week. Wednesday we have a youth temple trip because we are getting out early from school. We’re leaving at 1:30. Then Thursday morning we leave super early (for hoping for 4 a.m.) to drive to Utah to meet Melissa, Chaz, and Hazel! So excited!!!  We’re in Utah for a week and then come home the following Thursday night. 

Keagan asked Makayla to Mormon prom this week. It’s sometime in late April.

They are pretty cute together. Ray and I were making fun of them and took some of our own pics...



Yesterday I heard this pounding and came into the kitchen to find Ray pounding away at our brick wall...


We’ve been wanting to do it for the whole time we’ve lived here.. but didn’t know all that it would entail and $. I guess we’ll see now.. crazy man!

Have a good week! Love ya lots
Sis Shoop
Sent from my iPhone

3.18.18

It’s been a good week. There’s a hint of warm air, flowers are blooming, it’s light out longer, things are good. 

We are coming to Utah to see our family and friends in less than 2 weeks. We are excited! I had a bunch of messages back and forth with some girlfriends the other day and it cheered me immensely! I would love to see as many of you as possible!

Our friend and rm Cichoski came and stayed with us this weekend and it was fun to have him over.

Hazel is as cute as ever!!  And looking to grown up! She will be two next month!!

And Brother and Sister Kay. Sister Kay hasn’t been doing too well. She is living in Bonaventure in the memory loss center. Brother Kay recently moved in there to be with her. I stole this from his Facebook.. I’m glad they are still having fun!

Love you all! Have a great week!
Sis Shoop

3.11.18

I hate the word busy because I know we all are busy, but last week was one of those weeks where I had something every day and most evenings. I know some of my friends are like that all the time, but I don’t like that. 

I’ve been working at Horizons elementary school a lot lately. They got a new student that is hard, so they get a few weeks of extra help until hopefully he calms down. I work in the PBIS room. PBIS stands for.. Something behavior interventional specialist. It’s not something that I thought I would like, but I do. A lot of these troubled kids come from rough families or have behavior issues. It has been interesting and rewarding. Sometimes These kids just need a little bit of love and attention. 

Keagan got his Patriarchal blessing today. It was a wonderful experience. Of course lots of reflection and a few tears.one thing that Patriarch Pringel said that I think about a lot and have a strong testimony of is that how much our Heavenly Father loves us. He said we would probably be surprised about how intimately he knows and loves us. If we truly knew this we would want to make sure we were making good choices so we could return to him again. 

Keagan and I went to dance team districts clear up in Covington by Kent on Saturday. He went to support Makayla and I went for that and Jadyn Williamson. We rode up with the Williamson’s (Jared and Jemma) and 

Cheered everyone on. They both made it to state. (Must of been because of our cheering.. ;). So, to Yakima they go in two weeks. 

It is starting to turn into spring and was sunny. It is beautiful! Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and almost 70! I’m glad I have some recess duties tomorrow. 

Sadly, my picture won’t load. I need to delete some.. story of my life. So, sorry, I know it’s the best part of my letters. 

Love you all,

Sis Shoop

Ps

We are coming to Utah for spring break! We leave Thursday March 28. We will be there for a week. We’re meeting Melissa and Family there. We will try to see some of our Utah friends while we are there!!! Right now I’m just waiting on Melissa to make a schedule. There’s a couple of things we need to figure out. So excited!!!

3.4.18

Hi friends!

Yesterday we didn’t have anything we had to do.. of course lots of things we should do.. so I convinced Ray to drive up to Snoqualmie Falls. I, sadly have never been and lived in WA most of my life. Is it sad to say, I was a little disappointed. It was beautiful!! But I think I’ve heard so many things about it being amazing, that it disappointed a little bit. I think because it is just one area. With Multnomah Falls and even Tumwater Falls, there is beauty everywhere around. I did love the mountains all around Snoqualmie! It was so sunny that the photo was glaring with sun.

The mountains reminded me of Utah. 


We had a cute/ fun activity this week for Young women’s- a mad Hatter tea (hot chocolate ) party. We played games and had treats and got chocolate. 


Did you hear the Turners got their mission call? They are going to Barcelona Spain in July to work with young adults. (I copied this from Megan’s Facebook)



Today in one of our meetings we were talking about testimonies. One person was talking about his heartache with a close friend deciding to not believe in the gospel anymore. So, then we talked about the importance of keeping our testimonies strong. It is not a one time thing, but a lifetime of doing things that strengthen our testimonies like all the primary answers of reading our scriptures and saying prayers. It was also noted that its important to understand that everyone has times in their life that they’re not feeling it as much and then it’s time to rely on your testimony from before and do the things you need to do to get back to your testimony. I once heard that your testimony is like an escalator you have to do things to strengthen your testimony then you’re going up. If your not doing anything then you’re going backwards. I’m grateful for my testimony. I know this gospel is true. I love the Book of Mormon. I love that we can have eternal families! I love my family! I know President Nelson is a true prophet of God. 


I love you all!
Sis Shoop
Sent from my iPhone

2.25.18

This week was great and different! We had a four day weekend and got to go to Seaside Oregon Monday night. It was so fun and cold! But at least Monday it was sunny. It was only 37 degrees out on the beach. I still loved it! It was very relaxing and peaceful!

We drove home to snow. We wished we would of stayed another night. Oh well!

So, it was snowing when we came home. Wednesday was a late start, no school Thursday and then regular school Friday, but it snowed more Friday night. Luckily it is all gone now. 


Coming up our street when we came home. 

And I have to have a cute pic of Hazel! ;)

My laurels taught the lesson today and they did an awesome job. The topic was, why do the choices I make matter?
I’m so impressed with them! 

Have a great week! 
Love ya!
Sister Shoop

2.11.18

Sorry I missed last week. I was having too much fun playing with Hazel.. and watching the Super Bowl. 

I can’t remember what I wrote last concerning Melissa and Hazel coming. They didn’t get to come on Ray’s birthday to surprise him because they were both throwing up and couldn’t make their flight. So this time we mostly surprised Ray and had them here for almost a week. I think he knew something was going on, but he wasn’t 100 percent sure.

We got to surprise Gpa Thom, too and meet them at the bowling alley. Hazel went right to him and made his day! It was his 75th bday on Feb 3rd, too and my mom had a surprise bday party for him. So, it was a good weekend for Melissa and Hazel to be here!
She’s reacting to the bowling pins going down. 


We watched the super bowl and we all wore our Seahawks gear. Haha 
She thought she was so funny finding two binks! 



I don’t know if you can get videos or not, but it’s from a Snapchat filter and she recently started to say I love you. Cutest thing ever! ;)

We got her this cute little rolling luggage and she loved pulling it herself. She drags it around the house. She pulled it all by herself at the airport. So cute!

    

I’m always sad to see them go! But so grateful that we get to see them as often as we do for how far away they live!

This week it was actually sunny outside for a little bit. It was a nice break! It has been raining so much here! Ray and I drove Keagan to Lakewood for Makayla’s dance competition. On the way back, we went the scenic route and I’m so glad we did! We went through Steilacoom. It was beautiful!!



It was stake conference this weekend. And it was fabulous! President Esquibel is wonderful and so tender hearted. I love listening to him speak. Saturday night our friend Leilani spoke. She is a recent (2 years) convert. She gave such an awesome testimony and it has been wonderful to see her grow in the gospel. 

And here’s a Valentine for you. Valentine’s day is also the day I was baptized when I was 10... many years ago. 


Have a wonderful week! 
Love ya!
Sister Shoop

Sent from my iPhone